Court Rules Trump Must Seek Approval from Congress on Billionaire Ballroom

WASHINGTON – Today, a federal judge ordered construction halted on President Trump’s billionaire ballroom until Congress provides statutory authorization for the project. House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) issued the following statement regarding the ruling:

“After refusing to bring up a bill to end the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Republican leadership will decide if they want to spend time approving President Trump’s ballroom for billionaire mega-donors.

“This is a very clear test of Republican priorities. They can either bring up the Senate-passed bill to end the DHS shutdown, fully fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and cybersecurity, or they can bring up a bill to give President Trump permission to build his $350 million ballroom to host his billionaire friends.

“The contrast couldn’t be more clear. Republicans are concerned with giving the billionaire president a space for his billionaire donors to clink champagne glasses and nibble hors d’oeuvres, while ordinary Americans continue to be crushed under the weight of higher prices for gas, groceries, rent, health insurance, and everyday necessities.

“I strongly encourage Republican leadership, who control which bills receive a vote, to put the needs of the American people first; starting with taking up the bipartisan DHS funding bill that the Senate agreed to unanimously and ending this shutdown.”

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